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Government, private sector neglect our services – NigComSat

By on March 25, 2014

In spite of the robust services available on the Nigerian Communications Satellite in terms of bandwidth, the trend of government institutions and the private sector sourcing their satellite bandwidth requirements from foreign satellite operators have continued to increase.

The acting Managing Director, NigComSat Limited, Ms. Abimbola Alale, was quoted as saying this in a statement signed by the company’s spokesman, Mr. Sonny Aragba-Akpore on Friday.

Describing the asset as a critical national infrastructure, Alale expressed worry over the trend, saying, “Government institutions and the private sector are sourcing satellite bandwidth requirements from foreign satellite operators at the expense of the indigenous operator, NigComSat.”

She said NigComSat as a national operator was mandated to meet the bandwidth requirements of the nation, explaining that the policy initiative was aimed in part at reducing the capital flight caused by patronage of foreign satellite operators.

In order to reduce the recurrent lingering cycles of capital flights by corporate organisations and government agencies and bring to its barest minimum cost of doing business via Internet, she assured that the company had enough bandwidth for all stakeholders.

She said NigComSat 1R presently had the best satellite coverage over Nigeria, adding that the satellite was specifically designed to provide bandwidth for services within Nigeria and several other African nations.

NigComSat1R was launched on December 19, 2011, and has quad band of Ku, C, Ka and L bands. It has its footprints in over 40 African countries, parts of the Middle East and Asia.

Alale said the Central Bank of Nigeria might no longer honour requests for foreign exchange for bandwidth fees to foreign satellite operators.

 

 

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